


Boundaries

by Stariceling



Category: Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou Tou
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-12
Updated: 2010-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-06 00:28:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stariceling/pseuds/Stariceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has their boundaries, even between friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boundaries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nanashi_o](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Nanashi_o).



> For my friend Nana-chan, since she got me into this series in the first place.

There are boundaries, and there are limits. No matter how you set them or stretch them, every person is bound by them. Every person has their own boundaries, and sometimes those flimsy barriers are the only things holding back the world.

Kyouichi understood that. Their boundaries were the reason Tatsuma never approached him when he was up his tree.

That was the reason he didn’t break the silence when Tatsuma had his hood up.

Even when Tatsuma had been sitting in silence for almost an hour, Kyouichi let him have his shield. Tatsuma hadn’t moved–not even a twitch–the whole time. He had set himself down in a corner of Kyouichi’s bare apartment, back to the wall. His feet were flat on the floor with his arms limp over his bent knees. Kyouichi couldn’t see his face under the hood.

Tatsuma had his boundaries, but Kyouichi also had his limits. Even when he left the room and returned, his friend still hadn’t moved. Even when he approached, his own footfalls echoing loud in his ears as he made no attempt to be stealthy, Tatsuma didn’t react.

Kyouichi placed a fresh carton of strawberry milk between Tatsuma’s feet where he knew the other boy could see it. There was no response, and Kyouichi walked away as deliberately as he had approached.

After several minutes of intentionally not watching, Kyouichi turned his head enough to notice that Tatsuma had taken the milk. He was holding it in one hand, sipping it through the pink straw. Kyouichi still couldn’t see any more of his face than his chin and mouth, but at least Tatsuma had moved at last.

Another few minutes and Tatsuma reached up to put his hood back. The tilt of his head and the distant look in his eyes suggested that he wasn’t quite back yet. It might take more than an hour for that, but for now the barrier was down.

Kyouichi moved to sit next to Tatsuma, leaning against the wall, almost close enough for their shoulders to touch. When he looked over Tatsuma wasn’t looking at him, but he had a faint smile playing across his lips. It was that smile that always hinted he knew exactly what Kyouichi was doing.

The boundary between them had lifted, and Tatsuma also had his limits. He let himself lean to one side, his head coming to rest on Kyouichi’s shoulder.

They stayed like that, Tatsuma leaning comfortably into Kyouichi’s body. His lips pursed around his straw again. His were eyes fixed out the window, as if watching for the world to change. This time, Kyouichi didn’t care how long Tatsuma wanted to sit without moving.

Their boundaries were re-set, their limits a vague memory. Even though Kyouichi knew both existed, those boundaries had no weight between them here and now.


End file.
